


in the pleasure of (y)our company

by mystic_hyacinth



Series: Jack and Dimitri Discover Love [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Cute Kids, Dimitri just really loves living okay, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, I do this for the aesthetic, Inspired by 'No Choir' by Florence + the Machine, M/M, Mention of Russia, Mentions of religion, Sentimental, Thunderstorms, Trans Male Character, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Watermelons, a little humor, good ending, happy crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-17 16:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18968830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mystic_hyacinth/pseuds/mystic_hyacinth
Summary: In the midst of enjoying a rainy summer evening with his family, Dimitri can't believe he's made it this far.





	in the pleasure of (y)our company

 It’s very rarely me, Jack and the kids get moments like this.  No worrying about daycare, work or bills, no visitations from Ivan and Taylor or my mom. No stressed Jack eating cold spaghetti out the fridge at one in the morning. No sad text telling him that I’ll have to stay late at work tonight and won’t be home by dinner.

Nope, just us, a bowl of watermelon and a bit of rain to spice up the view. 

We’re not looking at much, simply the full view of our yard with its creeping ivy vines and the new flowers doing their best not to get knocked over by the pelting rain. The swingsets and slide are all but soaked and Jack had just barely managed to save the laundry on the clothesline before the downpour began. Every ten minutes or so, there’s the sound of a car going by or one of the neighbors dogs having a fit in the distance. 

Anastasia stirs from her catnap on my chest, her chubby  hands grasp weakly at my beard before going slack again. I kiss her forehead and her leg gives a little twitch.

“How’s the braiding coming, _kotenok_?” 

Jack, as usual, is fussing over something. Malachi sits between his legs accompanied by half of a dozen little jars of grease and oil, as well as several different combs. His fingers weave deftly through Malachi’s hair, moving so fast that his hands become a blur. Every few moments he tilts his head to the side a little more and the boy whines, upset about having to sit still for so long. Jack hardly minds him.

 “It’s coming.” he says with a tired sigh, finishing the braid and going to comb out another tuft of hair to start another one. “Your son doesn’t want to behave.”

I give a soft chuckle. “Doesn’t help with how you’re yanking him around like that, I’m surprised his hair hasn’t come out.”

“Hey,” Jack hisses, not looking up from his handiwork. “It’s like wrestling a gator in this thing, you think he runs out of hair and then  _ bam _ ! Another six inches for me to deal with.”

“Can I get up now?” Malachi pleads,  bare feet tapping anxiously against the wood of the porch.

“Hush and eat your watermelon, I’m almost done.”Malachi gives a few miserable little chomps of his melon as Jack starts his new braid and I smile down at the two of them. “How’s Ana doing?” asks Jack.

“She’s napping well enough.” I sigh. “Think the rain calmed her down a lot, no?”   


Jack hums, satisfied. “Yeah, I didn’t think she’d go down with how cranky she was being at dinner.”

“Eh, you know she just likes to put on a show when there’s people around.”

Jack rolls his eyes, “Yeah, right. She just likes to show off when you’re around. She knows she can get away with it.”

I blush a little. “You don’t have to remind me.”

Jack goes back to his braiding and I go back to gently rocking Anastasia. She hardly stirs save for the occasional grabby hand or wayward foot, but altogether she seems peaceful, for now. Before I know it my husband as finished up another braid and the streetlights begin to flicker on all up and down the block. I lean back in the chair and take another bite of melon.

“How’d you even manage to get one this sweet? It’s delicious.”   


“There’s little produce joint not too far from my job, that’s where I get that good spinach from.”

I hum delightedly and go for another piece. Malachi still chews contemplatively at his. “Can you get pineapple next time?” he asks.

Jack stops his braiding, cocking his neck at our son. “Since when do you like pineapple?”   


“I heard it’s good, I wanna try some.”

Jack chuckles, “I don’t know, good sir. Are you gonna be sliding me some cash for this little trial of yours?”   


"I can ask Papa to do it.”   


I have to resist the urge to laugh. “I’ll buy you pineapple, Malachi. Just remind me next time.”

Malachi nods, looking a little smug as he eats. Jack rolls his eyes, “Spoiled rotten, aren’t we?” he mutters, continuing the braid down past Malachi’s neck and unto his upper back. “Nothing less, I suppose.”

“Well he’s not the only one who I can spoil, _kotenok_.” “Would you like me to pick up some diamonds on the way home from the store tomorrow?”

“Stop it, you’re gonna make me blush.” he giggles, swooning all exaggerated like. I hum a bit of laughter and look back out at the showers, a little rumble of thunder breaks overhead. “Plus, I don’t like to be showy, I’d prefer gold.” 

I snort and roll my eyes, kissing his cheek. “Nothing less but the world and then some, darling.” Jack chuckles a little and Malachi gags. “You two are gross.” he humbles

My husband flicks him on the back of his neck. “Your hair is gross, now keep still.” 

I look back out at the yard, listening to the rattling of the gutter at the rain rushes into it, the call of an owl as night starts to fall and the steady, sweet sound of the world washing away right in front of us. Everything seems so at peace and gentle, as if God is trying to put all of Chicago to sleep. 

“I’ve waited years for this.” I whisper to Jack, stroking Ana’s hair as she wriggles around in my arms. 

“For a thunderstorm?” Jack asks incredulously, his fingers never leaving Malachi’s hair even as he looks up at me.

I shake my head. “I just - if you told yourself fifteen years ago that one day you’d marry me, have two beautiful children and be able to just sit on your back porch in the rain eating watermelon and being happy about it?” I sigh. “I hardly thought we’d ever leave Russia, had it not been for God I would have had five kids and fifty acres of land and that’s _if_ I ever left my parent’s farm.”

“Is that what your Mom wanted for you?” there’s a hint of poison in his voice that I try to ignore. 

“Perhaps, but really I guess that’s what I thought I wanted.” I shrug, picking up another piece of watermelon. “I wanted to make them happy and part of that meant never going out of what they wanted me to do.” Jack watches raptly and some part of me crumbles under his gaze. “But I don’t know, maybe in this life I was meant for something more. I was meant to come here and marry you. I was meant to have something more than I wife and a farm and more children then I could count.”

“Slow down there, your existentialism is killing me.” Jack laughs a little, but his smile stays sweet and genuine. “You think you’ll ever go back? To stay?”

“I don’t know, I couldn’t leave you here.” I shake my head. 

  
“Would you want us to come with you?” he asks, looking down at our son as if plans to pack him up in a carry on within the hour. 

“Jackson, you’re missing the point.” I laugh a little. “I love Russia and I miss it with everything in me. Still, I have this - “ I gesture to the large green storm drain that is our yard. “I have a home and family and I life I’ve made  _ here _ . The only strange part about it is just how much I look forward to all of it. Even if my life isn’t particularly glamorous, there’s not a thing about it I don’t love. There isn’t a thing here I would trade for a second in Russia."

 “Nothing?” Jack asks incredulously. 

  
“What would I do? What happiness would I be able to find there that I could’ve just keep here?” I shake my head. “I thank God every day for bringing me a life I can love, a husband and children I cherish, a job that I wouldn’t trade for anything, a family who I adore. I’m just so…” Jack’s hands still, even Malachi is looking over and 

  I smile, trying to ignore the lump in my throat. “ _ Happy _ about all of this.”

  
 “I’m happy that you’re happy, sweetness.” Jack coos, leaning over to “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“I just..” I give a shaky sigh, a few tears running down my face. However, before Jack can go to comfort me in another one of his warm hugs, there’s a gurgling cry from my chest before all hell breaks loose. “Oh no, I’m sorry!” I whisper, feebly attempting to rock Ana’ back to sleep with no luck.

“I got her, come.” Jack mumbles, taking our daughter in his arms.“It’s alright, princess. I’m crying too, on the inside.” he nudges Malachi off the wooden floor. “Your hair’s done. You mind getting Malachi washed up for bed, babe?” he asks, turning to me.

“No trouble.” I hoist Malachi up into my arms and I’m instantly greeted with the sweet but heavy smell of shea butter and Moroccan oil coming from his hair.  “Will you and Ana be okay?”

“Yeah, think I’m gonna give her a little hose down in the sink and put her down for the night.” he waves me off and I turn to go back inside, only to have my arm be gently tugged backwards. “Hey, Mitri?”

“Hrm?” I ask and I’m greeted only with a soft, chaste kiss.  “Thank you for making this life a good one, for all of us.” he smiles and I fight the need to cry again.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way.” I whisper and we share another soft kiss. 


End file.
